Author Elizabeth Charlesworth
Published 12/09/2017
Remembering Sir Peter Hall
Peter Hall created memorable theatre at The Old Vic when he took over the artistic directorship of the National Theatre from Laurence Olivier to lead the Company into its new home on the South Bank. Because of building delays to the new NT building, the first extraordinary productions, including the world premiere of Pinter’s No Man’s Land with Gielgud and Richardson and Becket’s Happy Days with Peggy Ashcroft, both directed by Peter were shown first at The Old Vic in 1973.
He returned in 1996 with his own company which included Felicity Kendal, Geraldine McEwan, Ben Kingsley, and Alan Howard and gave the artistic life at The Old Vic a new lease of life after a long period of uncertainty. In 1997, it was announced that The Old Vic was to be sold and Peter Hall’s production of King Lear in December 1997 marked the final performance under Ed Mirvish’s ownership. Peter joined the cast and backstage crew on stage tearfully told the audience that he feared no one would come forward to use the building as a theatre. Fortuitously, a group of philanthropists led by Sally Greene came to The Old Vic’s rescue, it was reinstated as a producing theatre and Sir Peter Hall’s fears were unfounded. He gladly returned one final time to direct Pygmalion in 2008.